CHICAGO – In response to the recent announcement from the comptroller’s office that Illinois will skip its November pension payments, Senator John G. Mulroe (D-Chicago) has issued the following statement:

“We have made great progress in the last four years in making our pension payments that have been escalating during that time. It's unfortunate that the governor is unwilling to talk about the budget and our obligations to make pension payments. They are directly connected. The failure to make mandated pension payments will end up hurting everyone in the state; this decision will lead to a downgrade in bond ratings, further damaging our financial outlook. It's time for the governor to put aside his non-budget related agenda and deal with what's of immediate concern.”